Israeli Airstrikes on Gaza Shatter Ceasefire as Fighting Resumes

What Happened?

The Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes on HAMAS targets in Gaza, shattering the tenuous ceasefire which had held for the past several weeks.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reported over four hundred dead and another five hundred wounded from the widespread airstrikes on Gaza. 

“As of this morning, Israel is operating with full force against the Hamas terrorist organization,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said on Tuesday. 

Why it Matters

The airstrikes by Israel on Gaza appeared to be substantial, hitting dozens of targets overnight as opposed to symbolic raids where only one or two strikes are carried out. Why did Israel choose now to resume hostilities against HAMAS?

One likely reason is frustration with the lack of progress on the talks to release the remaining hostages, which HAMAS has been stonewalling for several weeks. Negotiations had been going nowhere, and these new airstrikes are likely an attempt by Israel to force HAMAS to release Israeli hostages sooner or face more bombardment. 

In a strategic sense HAMAS welcomes more Israeli attacks because the group believes such actions will lead more Gazans to join their ranks in the long run.

But in the short term the airstrikes are a major problem for HAMAS, because many people in Gaza are war weary and do not want to see a resumption of major hostilities. When HAMAS claims to be fighting for the Palestinian cause yet can’t stop Israeli airstrikes, it undercuts the groups standing with average Palestinians.

The Israeli airstrikes on Gaza touched off a flurry of activity in Egypt and Qatar, as mediators scrambled to come up with a way to prevent a resumption of full-scale war. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry called the attacks a “dangerous escalation that threatens to have severe consequences for the stability of the region.”

Whether the actions of mediators will bear any fruit largely depends on how HAMAS responds to the attacks, and so far, the groups intentions are unclear. While several top HAMAS figures remain safe in Qatar, in Gaza the group has suffered substantial losses, including leadership, which has disrupted decision making. 

While the Israeli airstrikes do increase the pressure on HAMAS, the success of targeted hits on leaders conversely could be slowing down HAMAS’s ability to make decisions.

How it Affects You

The resumption of hostilities in Gaza comes on the heels of U.S. airstrikes on the Houthi in Yemen.

The Houthi have vowed revenge, and if the conflict between Israel and HAMAS returns to full-scale war, it’s likely Iranian proxies including the Houthi could also resume attacks in other parts of the Middle East. 

A new phase of conflict between Israel and HAMAS could bring the Middle East back to the brink of a major regional war.